


Sweet Dreams Aren't Made Of This

by feathersandriddles



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Fear Toxic, Hallucination!Ed, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 07:40:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11939460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feathersandriddles/pseuds/feathersandriddles
Summary: Scarecrow has targeted the Iceberg Lounge with his new fear toxic. What does Oswald see when he inhales it?





	Sweet Dreams Aren't Made Of This

**Author's Note:**

> I had to write this after seeing the new S4 promo. It looks like Oswald will hallucinate Ed and this is my take on it. I don't think I did a good job but I still want to share.

* * *

Screams were heard everywhere.

The Iceberg Lounge that was filled with chatter and people having a good time merely moments ago was now in chaos.

Everyone was unaware of a man entering the building in a trench coat, with a purpose. He pushed through the crowd to get to the center of the club. He stopped in front of the ice sculpture of Edward Nygma and looked at it for a few seconds before chuckling. His boss would get a kick out of this.

Some started to notice the man when he pulled out a gas mask. Everyone finally realized something was out of the ordinary when that man dropped a smoke bomb and green gas started coming out of it.

Green smoke filled the club quickly and everyone started running towards the exit in fear of what that gas would do to them.

Before anyone could reach the doors, other men in trench coats and gas masks entered with guns in their hands and stopped the people from leaving.

The gas was inhaled by the crowd and they all started screaming and lashing at each other.

A young man in his own designed gas mask and rags appeared from behind the men and started making his way through the mayhem, observing.

He wore tubes around his costume that connected to a tank filled with the same gas that was released moments ago, hidden underneath the clothing on his back. The end of the tube reached his wrists and ready to be unleashed on someone with close proximity.

The young man stopped in front of the man that dropped the bomb.

"It's looking good, boss. No one seems to be dropping dead this time." The henchman said.

"Excellent." The younger man responded in a deep and eerily voice.

"You might have just created the toxic you've been trying to achieve, Crane."

"Jonathan Crane isn't here right now. It's Scarecrow. Now if you excuse me, there's fears I would like to find out." Scarecrow said as he went off to make the nightmares of the people worse.

***

Oswald has heard of this new fellow running around Gotham wearing old dirty laundry and a sack for a mask. He went by the name of Scarecrow.

Scarecrow has been terrorizing the city with their own fears.

Some of Oswald's men were victims of Scarecrow's terror when they were sent out for a job and unfortunately caught in a crossfire with Scarecrow's so called "fear toxic." They were all reported back dead. Heart attacks.

Watching the news, Oswald learned that Scarecrow's true name was Jonathan Crane and he was following in his late father's footsteps who was killed by Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock. Typical.

Why is Jim Gordon behind most of the villains' origins in Gotham City?

He knew all of this but what he didn't know was the Iceberg Lounge being Scarecrow's next target of attack.

Oswald heard the screaming from his office that was upstairs as he was filling out paperwork for the newest entertainment he was trying to get in the club. Ivy was sitting on the couch's office counting the money made so far.

"What in the world..." Oswald said as he got up from his chair and walked towards the window of his office to look down below.

"That doesn't sound too good," Ivy said as she put the money aside and got up to stand by Oswald's side to see what was the commotion all about. "It doesn't look too good either."

"What the hell?! What is going on down there?!"

"It seems like some people are tearing each other apart while others are just screaming at nothing!"

"Where is Fries and Bridgit?!"

"They were on bouncer duty!"

"Where are they now that they aren't controlling the crowd down there?!"

"Beats me!"

Oswald noticed a group of men with trench coats and gas masks on heading out the club, leaving the chaos behind them.

"I'm gonna find where they went and KILL those guys for ruining business tonight!" Oswald said.

He went over to his desk to open a drawer and took out a gun.

"Stay here, Ivy."

"But-"

"Ivy. That's an order. Stay. Here." Oswald interrupted.

Ivy sighed. "Fine, but be careful Pengy."

"I always am." Oswald said as he walked out and descended down the stairs to the main floor.

It was one thing seeing the chaos from above but it was another thing making your way through it.

People were screaming, "get it off off me!" and "I'm sorry!" at no one in particular. Others were fighting each other thinking they were each other's fears.

Oswald tried to avoid contact with as many people as possible as he tried to find where Victor and Bridgit went off to.

Where the hell were they? He thought.

"Looking for someone?" A voice spoke from behind him.

Before Oswald could fully turn and click his gun at the voice, green smoke was sprayed in his face.

He breathed it in and started coughing.

Scarecrow stood in front of him with his arm stretched out at him, indicating he used his wrist tube to unleash the gas.

"Hello, Penguin. I've heard a lot about you over the years. I must say, it's an honor."

Oswald looked at Scarecrow, trying to point the gun that he still had in his hand at him which Scarecrow easily knocked out from his hand with a slap.

"That won't help you where you're about to end up in. Also, your friends won't help you either considering they're shooting fire and ice outside at each other outside."

Oswald felt his head spinning and his stomach turning.

"Don't worry. It's only your fear you're going to see. It'll be over soon. Hopefully." Scarecrow cackled.

Oswald slowly started backing away to get away from Scarecrow but bumped into people that were facing their own fears and made him go back in place.

Scarecrow inched closer to Oswald's face.

"What are you afraid of?" He creepily whispered.

Oswald felt his heartbeat increasing. His vision started getting hazy and then suddenly everyone in the room disappeared.

There was no more screaming.

Oswald found himself standing alone in his club.

The blue light radiating brighter than usual.

Oswald turned and saw the ice that had Edward inside. However, as Oswald looked closely, he noticed was no one inside.

"What the..." Oswald said as he blinked a few times thinking it was his eyes playing a trick on him.

He slowly approached the ice thinking it was probably the lighting that was causing it to look like no one was inside it.

Just as he was a few steps away from touching the ice, Edward appeared very much out of the ice and stood in between Oswald and the ice and Oswald screamed.

Frightened by Edward suddenly entering his vision, Oswald fell backwards and onto the ground.

"Impossible!" Oswald shouted as he tried to scramble away and find a weapon.

However, Edward wasn't any move to attack.

"How did you get out?!" Oswald yelled.

The ice block behind Edward was still intact. No signs of melting yet here was Edward standing before him. None of this made sense.

"Oswald..." Edward started to speak. His voice was far more strained than it was when he was still running around as The Riddler. It was like something was preventing him from talking normally.

Ice, Oswald realized. Ice is what was in his throat, his body, everywhere.

Oswald looked at him, really looked at him. Ed looked like a walking corpse. He was pale and had icicles stuck on his face. Oswald noticed he was shaking uncontrollably too but was looking at Edward like he was the sun.

"I know who you are," Edward said

"W-what?"

"Do you believe in fate?"

Oswald recognized these words and felt this eyes welling up at the memories.

"Oswald, I would do anything for you."

"Stop it." Oswald said with a small sob.

Why did those words still have this much affect on his feelings?

"You can always count on me."

"Why are you saying that?! Stop saying that!" Oswald yelled as a few tears escaped his eyes. He quickly wiped them away.

"You're my best friend as well, Oswald. Remember that."

"You shot and dumped me in the river!"

"You hurt me first..." Edward said, finally done repeating all of the things he said to Oswald in the past.

"I..."

"You killed Isabella. You betrayed me!" The look of affection was gone. His eyes were now only filled with rage.

"I did it for love..." Oswald said back lamely, too emotionally tired to fight back at the moment.

"I. Don't. Love. You."

"I know! You told me that once before! Shut up!" Oswald yelled back.

Oswald felt pathetic. He thought he made progress in moving on from Ed during the past few months and thought the wall he built to not let love in his life again was high and strong. But he was wrong.

"Why didn't you just kill me, Oswald?" Edward asked.

"I-I couldn't."

"You froze me instead. You couldn't let me go."

Oswald couldn't find himself to say anything. This was something he hadn't admitted to himself yet.

"You can't make me stay so you're forcing me to."

"That's not true-"

"How can you do that to the person you claim to love?!" Edward yelled.

"Loved! Not anymore." Oswald said as he looked away. He didn't even believe himself.

"It's so cold. Why is it so cold?"

Oswald looked back at Edward at the sudden childish tone of voice.

"You say you love me but why am I freezing?"

"You deserved it." Oswald said but instantly regretting it.

"It hurts. I can't think. I can't speak. I can't..." Edward took a raspy breath. "...breathe."

Edward collapsed to the ground.

Oswald let out a shriek as he crawled towards Edward. He reached out to him but Edward quickly sat up and grabbed his wrist. His touch was ice cold. Oswald felt like his whole body was turning into ice at the touch.

"You say you didn't want to kill me but I'm already dead."

"N-no. Fries said you're just suspended. You're not dead."

"You killed me! You killed me!"

Oswald tried to pull break his wrist away from the grip but he couldn't. Edward's hand was now frozen around his wrist.  
  
"You killed me! You killed me!" Edward continued yelling.

"I DIDN'T! YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!"

"You killed me! You killed me!"

"NO!"

"You killed me! You killed me!"

"SHUT UP!" Oswald screamed at him as he once again tried to yank his wrist away from Edward's grip with much more force. He succeeded but it resulted in taking Edward's hand with his.

The hand fell and shattered on the ground.

Now one handed, Edward stopped yelling and Oswald looked at the result in shock.

"I-I didn't mean to..."

"How can you do this? To the person you love? You continue hurting me!"

Oswald tucked his head in between his knees with eyes shut and covered his ears as Edward's claims began to get louder and louder. He didn't realize he was screaming and sobbing again.

This was all too much. He has done so many things to the person he loved, still loves, and he never apologized for them. Edward Nygma might as well be dead and it was all because of him.

***

Scarecrow and his men were sitting in the back of a van as their driver was speeding away from the crime scene. Sirens could be heard from a distance indicating that the GCPD were informed about the attack at the Iceberg Lounge.

The henchman that started the whole attack took off his mask and let out a laugh.

"That was wild."

The other men joined in on the laughter as they took off their masks.

"That sure beats gassing random strangers in alleyways." Another man of the group said.

Everyone hummed in agreement.

"So," the main henchman started at Scarecrow, "the toxic you used tonight didn't kill any of them."

"I'm not about killing but learning more about fear. This is a start." Scarecrow responded.

"Speaking of fear...I saw you over the Penguin. You managed to gas him, didn't you? Did you learn what his fear was?" The henchman asked, curious.

Scarecrow chuckled darkly. "His fear was very interesting."

He took off his own mask, revealing Jonathan Crane's face but still talking in Scarecrow's voice.

"The man in the ice block you pointed out to me was a part of the fear that the gas brought out of him but not in the way I expected him to be. I thought Penguin trapped him for safety measures but it was really because of the fear of loving him. He knows his love is toxic and he's terrified of what more pain he can cause to the person he still loves so he froze him. At the same time, he doesn't want to let him go so he has him by his side at all times in ice. He darkly has the two things he most wants in the world: the man by his side and not being able to hurt the man with his own love."

"Wow. That's some analysis." The henchman said.

"You know what the best part of this whole thing is? Penguin is going to unfreeze him because he knows he can't live like that anymore and that's when the real fun begins." Scarecrow said, smiling sinisterly.

He was already planning his next visit but this time when the man in the ice was free.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment!


End file.
